The Sports Xchange
Nov 1, 2015
Alex Smith accounted for three touchdowns and set a career-high with 78 rushing yards as the Kansas City Chiefs strangled the offense of the Detroit Lions in a 45-10 demolition at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
The Chiefs rushed for 206 yards and four touchdowns and had six sacks of quarterback Matt Stafford, who was relieved in the final two minutes of the game by Dan Orlovsky. Stafford was 22 of 36 for 217 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions.
Smith was 18 of 26 for 145 yards with two touchdowns and rushed for another.
Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin caught Smith's second TD pass of the game with 10:11 left in the fourth quarter to push the Chiefs to a 35-point lead and after the Lions got their first score of the game, running back Spencer Ware's 4-yard run with 6:40 left made it 45-10.
Kansas City had its way with a weary Lions' defense that spent two thirds of the game on the field.
Kansas City (3-5) has its first winning streak of the season and the turnaround can be credited to a defense that has allowed only 57 points the past four games.
The Lions enter the bye week 1-7 after going 11-5 in 2014.
Tight end Travis Kelce caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Smith on the opening drive of the second half to stake the Chiefs to a 31-3 edge.
The Chiefs hit halftime with a 24-3 lead and already Smith had rushed for a career-high 68 yards including a touchdown when he escaped pressure and ran away from Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah for one of Kansas City's three rushing scores in the first half.
Changes made to the offensive coaching staff by the Lions on Monday failed to produce the immediate intended effect under the direction of first-time coordinator Jim Bob Cooter.
Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson hopped to the sideline in the fourth quarter after landing awkwardly on his longest receptions of the day, a 30-yarder down the left sideline, and left the game for good. He had five catches for 85 yards.
Stafford scrambled away from pressure to his right and threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Lance Moore for the lone Lions' touchdown with 7:21 left on the clock.
Stafford was sacked four times -- twice by strong safety Ron Parker -- in the first half and when he did get time to throw, was unable to put the ball in the right spot. He was intercepted twice in the first half.
NOTES: The Lions were flagged for personal fouls on the final two plays of the first half. DE Ziggy Ansah landed on QB Alex Smith, who had gone into a feet-first slide, and drew a penalty and DE James Jones intentionally grabbed and pulled the facemask of RB Charcandrick West on the next play. ... Lions DT Andre Fluellen left the game at the start of the fourth quarter with a hip injury. ... The Lions play at Green Bay in Week 10 following a bye. ... Kansas City's previous season high was 28 points against the Packers.